An eight-year-old boy is one of just 11 people in the world with a rare genetic mutation. Grayson, now eight, was put forward for blood tests when he was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. He was then put on a trial after a meeting with his geneticist who looked at his genetic markers - including his nose, hair, feet and hands.
His family thought no more about it until they got a letter back last year to say he also has a single nucleotide duplication called Shank2. This means he was born with a rare genetic mutation which changed the DNA alphabet within his gene. His mum Rhiannon Bourne, 29, said there is "no way" of knowing how the mutation will affect Grayson in the future because there is no research into it.
Grayson is delayed in his learning and Rhiannon said she is prepared to care for him for the rest of her life. Rhiannon, a business owner, from Derby, Derbyshire, said: "I was shocked when I first found out. But I was interested to find out more about the other people with the same diagnosis, to see if they were like Grayson.
I was keen to know if it was more common in one sex than the other and what Grayson's future may look like. "I was also frustrated. If we had been able to find out when he was younger his journey into school might have been easier.
" Rhiannon found out she was pregnant with Grayson in 2014 after a period of feeling unwell. He was born on June 15, 2015 weighing 6lbs 14oz. After five days, Grayson and Rhiannon left the hospital and went home.
Rhia.
